Decolonizing Fundraising: Resourcing Community with Integrity
Details
About the event
This session explores fundraising approaches rooted in relationship, cultural humility, and community accountability — moving beyond transactional and extractive funding models toward more ethical and values-aligned practices. This event is free; registration is required.
Additional Information
Event details
Traditional fundraising models often prioritize transactions over relationships, reinforcing dynamics that can feel extractive or misaligned with community-centered values. This session invites fundraisers and nonprofit leaders to reexamine how resources are mobilized and to explore approaches grounded in integrity, reciprocity, and cultural humility.
Topics will include:
- Shifting from transactional to relational giving
- Building non-extractive funder relationships
- Practicing cultural humility in fundraising
- Creating ethical, values-aligned donor experiences
This session is presented through the Santa Fe Community Foundation’s Learning Hub and is part of the Fundraisers' Forum program. This event is free; registration is required.
About the Learning Hub
The Santa Fe Community Foundation proudly offers our Learning Hub as an educational space for nonprofit board, executive directors, staff members, and donors. Each year, the Hub offers dozens of events, workshops, and learning circles that promote leadership, skill building, and peer-supported growth.
Meet the people leading the conversation
Elena Higgins
Elena Higgins
Elena Higgins has cultivated a dynamic career touring with her wife, Tash Terry (Diné), as part of the award-winning musical duo Indigie Femme. Together, they have garnered numerous international and national accolades for their powerful performances. Beyond her musical achievements, Elena is the co-founder and executive director ofIndigenousWays, a nonprofit organization devoted to fostering balance and unity through music, arts, outreach, and events. IndigenousWays serves as a bridge for cultural exchange, supporting Native American, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, andDeaf and Hard of Hearing communities with accessible programs and festivals.Through this work, the organization amplifies underrepresented voices, strengthens cultural resilience, and promotes holistic healing on a global scale.
Elena's dedication to community and cultural preservation is deeply rooted in her heritage. Born inAotearoa (New Zealand), she was raised in a Pākehā (white) foster family, while maintaining close ties with her Samoan matrilineal aiga (family) and Māoriwhānau (family). These connections have instilled in her a profound commitment to honoring cultural traditions and building meaningful community connections.
Meet the people leading the conversation
Elena Higgins
Elena Higgins
Elena Higgins has cultivated a dynamic career touring with her wife, Tash Terry (Diné), as part of the award-winning musical duo Indigie Femme. Together, they have garnered numerous international and national accolades for their powerful performances. Beyond her musical achievements, Elena is the co-founder and executive director ofIndigenousWays, a nonprofit organization devoted to fostering balance and unity through music, arts, outreach, and events. IndigenousWays serves as a bridge for cultural exchange, supporting Native American, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, andDeaf and Hard of Hearing communities with accessible programs and festivals.Through this work, the organization amplifies underrepresented voices, strengthens cultural resilience, and promotes holistic healing on a global scale.
Elena's dedication to community and cultural preservation is deeply rooted in her heritage. Born inAotearoa (New Zealand), she was raised in a Pākehā (white) foster family, while maintaining close ties with her Samoan matrilineal aiga (family) and Māoriwhānau (family). These connections have instilled in her a profound commitment to honoring cultural traditions and building meaningful community connections.
Meet the people leading the conversation
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